Geminis & Aquarius
by Ngoc Chau
Summary: Same story rewritten. Please read. Summary is in first chapter. You won't be disappointed. At least an ounce of fluff and love in each chap. Mostly movieverse with some comic elements. Lemons wil be in later chapters, love and fluff for now. Abe/OC/Johann
1. Summary

**Ngoc Chau does not own Hellboy.**

**Okay, I've just decided to write a different sort of version for this. **

**There's not really anything different with it, but there are some changes and improvements. **

**But if I see that more people like this version better, I'm going to delete the original. **

****

* * *

_"Monster"_  
by  
Meg & Dia

* * *

**This is just like any fanfics with OCs that you've read.**

**Girl comes to the BPRD as a new agent.  
Girl charms Johann or Abe.  
The 2 of them overcome a conquest which strengthens their love.  
Later as he learns more about girl, she has very mysterious power.  
He still accepts her.  
They live happily ever after..**

**But there are a few changes.**

**A new agent, Nancy Le, transfers to the BPRD of America from a BPRD base in Japan.  
Upon going there she meets;  
Johann Krauss,** the german ectoplasmic medium  
**Abraham Sapien,** the brain of the team and the amphibious psychic channelor  
**Liz Sherman,** an agent who's been a pyrokinetic since she was 11  
**and  
Hellboy of course,** the bad boy of hell and the BPRD....who's dating Liz and knocked her up with twins.

**When Nancy comes with her fatherly figure partner, Jack Quartz, she only wants one thing from her team; pure solitude and silence.  
But Johann, finding himself enamored with her, refuses to give her just that. But Nancy discovers a dark obsession and fascinating attraction to Abe. Though this seems like the most confusing love story, it gets harder.  
Aside from the love triangle, Nancy, who is utterly in love with Abe, hates him completely and wants nothing to do with him getting close to her.  
What's a fish boy and a ghost to do?**

**Oh, a few things left.**

**Why does Nancy wear gloves and sunglasses all the time?  
Even when the weather is hot?  
Is it she just wants to look cool or is there something sinister behind her?  
Who will she choose in the end?  
**

**The man who loves her and will always be there for her **

**or **

**_the one who she can't stop her heart from loving no matter what?_**

**One last thing; she's blind.**

**Read on to find out about this complicated ordeal of love, loss, compassion, passion, and friendship.  
And Hellboy will be there for the laughs....**


	2. Agent Nancy Le

**Ngoc Chau does not own HellBoy**

**So this is a fanfic of Abe, Johann and an OC. I've been getting so obsessed with them. (:D) **

**Anyway, here's the fanfic. I hope you enjoy and that you will review at the end. **

* * *

_"Can't Smile Without You"_  
by  
Barry Manilow

* * *

**Chapter piece;**

_She slowly held out her hand straight in front of her, "I am pleased to meet you, Agent Sapien."_

_She still held her hand out, waiting for him to take it.  
All eyes and thoughts were on him. Most of them wondering if he would shake her hand willingly on the spot like that and some that were wondering why she wanted to shake only his hand. A few of the thoughts easily assumed it was because since she was a psychic, she would want to shake the hand of another pyschic herself. Abe laughed mentally once more. Silly girl, she probably didn't even know that he wasn't human. Thought his laugh quickly died out since he was shocked that even from such a close distance, he couldn't get any information on her. Perhaps, he would get something from a touch after all, his psychometry was stronger than his telepathy.  
He reached out, "Yes, same here, Agent Le." and shook her heavily gloved hand; the materical of it creaking as he grasped. Her full lips almost curled up in a smile, but in that same instant it dropped back to the expressionless line it was before. Like she wasn't even supposed to smile._

* * *

Abe sat in his area, aka, the large library once more, drinking a gift of beer from Hellboy, ignoring the siren of an elevater arrival in sector 36 but listening to a recent cd he found, "Popular Love Songs."  
He couldn't help repeating this habit. Just a few months ago, he had found someone just for him. His own "Liz".  
Abe had found her, saved her, and lost her. She died to save everybody from the wrath of her brother and the destruction he sought to bring on mankind. She died for everyone -for him- but he still couldn't believe that she would die like that. He thought of her brave rather than foolish. She was scared of death as everyone was and even more to lose her brother like that, but dearest Nuala sacrificed and swallowed her fears to defend everyone.

She was gone from him now, still lying in dust with her brother in the catacombs. Just before he left then and held her stone hand, he heard a voice from within the walls. The voice had told him to leave and never come back; to leave her with her brother -her love- and let her rest in peace. He could not bear to do such a thing to her, but the last remnent from her dead self told him to forget about her and move on; be happy.

How could he be happy? She was the only one for him;  
She was from another world as he was,  
she had the same power as he did,  
she felt the same for him as he did for her.  
She was poetic,  
she was beautiful,  
she was proud,  
she was loyal,  
she was loving.  
She was perfect, for him.  
He took another swig as the chorus of track 8 played,

"_I can't smile without yooou! I can't laugh and I can't siinng!"_

He sung along with the chorus in his slurred disposition. He didn't care how drunk he was now. He just wanted to tide the heartache he was still feeling. The strong taste of alchohol burned at his sore throat, but at least he had something else to think about momentarily.  
He sighed so pitifully. God how he missed her. All he could do for her after was just hold her as she turned stone hard in his arms and leave her to lie with her brother. His only regret from meeting her was that he wasn't able to tell her his own words without her touch sooner.

As he sat there, drinking and drowning in his sorrows, Hellboy stormed through. His leather trench coat shipped harshly as he stomped towards the impaired Abe. Hellboy's face looked stern, stressed in a way with beads of sweat running down his brow. It was as though he just outran the fear of his life. In a way, it was true; Liz in one of her moodswings. His crimson face was red as always, but then there looked to be more of a barbequed to it then.  
He took another swig and slurred, "What is it now, Red?" His voice bounced up and down almost like he was singing with the music.

Hellboy slapped his forehead slightly with his bare hand and sighed out loud, his stone hand crumbling and creaking slightly as it could easily be seen clenching, "Geez, Blue. You're still drinking like that? It's been months!"

Abe smashed the empty silver can among the red carpeted floor, he argued back, "What're you contradicting me for? I've seen you in your fits when Liz is on her mood swings."

"That's different! She's pregnant!"

"What about your other drunk fits?"

"Well, I just like...Crap. You got me there."

Even though he couldn't really smile, Abe gave a small unnoticeable smirk of victory to himself. His throat was getting parched and his thoughts of Nuala was coming back. He needed a drink, something to tide of his mind and just erase that celestial elfan woman's face away. He grabbed for another can of beer. It gurgled and hissed as his long fingers snapped the cap open. His claw-like nails tapped against the tin container before he raised the can to his almost lipless mouth and drank.  
Hellboy gave another sigh and told him,

"Hey Abe, Washington sent another monkey here."

Abe stopped in mid-drink and lowered the can from his hard lips. "An Agent or Working monkey?"

"Agent."

He sighed as he stood, no...stumbled up to his feet. "Really? Are you sure it's an agent? I thought that one of the conditions to us returning back to work was that we didn't need any more nannies or wards in disguise as agents."

"Yeah, but that Manning guy said that it's an agent for sure we're getting... And y'know how big Liz is getting now, everybody is getting worried about the twins. So they thought to transfer in a newbie so she can fill in for Liz for a while." Hellboy informed as he scratched his head and made his way to the stairs where Abe was sitting. He grabbed ahold on one of the beers and held it with his stone hand, his bare hand opening in up in a foamy_ fizz._

"She?"

That was when Hellboy's face lit up like a literal Christmas light. "Who knows, Abe?" he laughed as he put his arm around Abe's brawny neck and took a drink, "She could be the one for you."

"No one, only Nuala was the one for me." Abe said strongly. There couldn't be anyone else like Nuala. There was no way at all that there could be someone who could even stand up to her, let alone be someone that could entirely take his attention and devotion away from her.

"What ever helps you sleep at night, Blue." he concluded with a shrug. He left with the beer in his hand, chugging it down.

* * *

The gilled agent and the expecting Hellboy walked through the many gates and barriers to the front of the headquarters. Agents to and fro walked back and forth, some with heavy parkas aroudn them; having them looked like one-eyed furred beasts. Others were holding paperwork or small creatures and objects of magic and lore. Just before the 2 had walked out into the hall to see the new agent, they had both thrown out their beers. Hellboy was the worst at trying to act sober, he was still swaying a bit, luckily Abe had enough practice to fake being in total control.

He could still hear every agent's thoughts clearly as he walked out. All of them wondering why he wasn't holding a can of beer or bottle in his hand. He felt a bit insulted that they expected to see him like that. But then again, he did spend most of his afternoons and evenings when he wasn't working drinking and listening to music. Sill, the very idea that everyone around him was thinking that was so insolent. Had they even thought about it that he didn't need touch every single time to hear thoughts?  
Apperently not.

As they passed by Hellboy's wing, Liz arrived out.

She was practically still the same, except with the very noticeable features of pregnancy. Her skin, that was always so pale, had more of a rosy glow now, due to the raging hormones that were also aiding in her violent mood swings. Her hair that she had decided to keep short because it was always getting in the way when she was on her mission, grew unusually quickly so that she had to be getting trims once a week and sometimes a few days. However, just a week ago, she decided to just trim it once a month, so now it was up to her shoulders.  
Today, she had tied it back into a tight braid that hung over her shoulder in front.  
Because of the huge growth at her stomach that was equipped to hold 2 little baby demons, she wore more black than usual. Trying to lessen the appearance of the belly that she was getting with each passing day.  
That day, she wore a long maternity shirt, black of course, that cupped her growing chest and went loose from then on. She wore soft black capris that stopped at her knees and had a small split for a fashionable look. The braid of hair in front made her look more homely than she thought it would. Oh, how she regretted tying her hair like that, but so many of the agents had suggested it for her.

She ran, well fast-walked, out of the sliding mechanical doors while clutching her bulging stomach. She endured to catch up to her 2 team-mates.

Although Abe kept his steady pace, Hellboy stopped in his tracks to wait for his lovely bride. He was so in love with her and she with him that it often made Abe envious of what could have been. She could've just stayed with them, he would've fought tooth and limb to stop her brother without hurting her. He could've done it, but... she did it for him first.

"Hey, Liz." Hellboy greeted as he opened up his arms to embrace her. His heavy frame was already towering over her and the robe of black was close to disappearing under the colour of tan and red.  
She walked straight into him and gave him a tight hug, but released quickly holding her stomach again. "Sorry, Red. The babies are kicking again."

He chuckled, "Guess the kids thinks that I hug too tight."

Abe had stopped after 17 steps and turned around to wait for the couple to catch up to where he was. The ache in his heart came back again. He was envious that they both had each other and could always see each other, he was jealous because he had no one else for him; he was completely alone. But it wasn't that he wanted to be alone, there was just no one else that interested him like Nuala did.

Liz smiled at him as she approached him, "What's up, Blue?"

Abe didn't answer directly at her. He didn't want another of his friends and comrades to see that he was drinking again. But the alcohol on his breath was clearly too strong to go unnoticed.  
As soon as he spoke, "Nothing much, just work and all."

Liz covered her mouth and nose and snapped, "God! Have you been drinking again?"

"Not that much!" he retorted back. True, he hadn't had been drinking that much! Just about 2 cans a day, before it was about a whole 6 pack a day.

"How much is 'not that much'? I could smell it from here!" Her face scrunched up as she scolded him. She hated the smell of alchohol, but she could easily tolerate the smell of nicotine and tobacco. A small flame suddenly appeared at her fingertips, she snapped her hand away from her face and shook her head free of the fire. She was angry, that was true, the fire said all. but it wasn't his fault. He just needed a way to cope. Besides, it was better than suicide or just going into completely depression.

Abe sighed again, seemed like he was doing a lot of that lately. It seriously wasn't his fault.

As they walked together, Hellboy asked Liz if she knew what the Government had suggested to keep her from doing anything that might hurt the twins. She started listing off everything from the forms and procedures the guys up in Washington sent to her off her fingertips and her eyes rolled back as she tried to rememebr. Her mind was jumbled; what she wanted to say would be completely different from what was coming out of her mouth. However, she still got to the point of it.  
During on of her explanations, it was she, in fact, who was the one that gave the idea to the government to send another agent.  
Even though Johann was a valuable asset to the team, it was best to have a female member around to keep the boys in order.

If there was one thing she never wanted to do, it was risk the safety of Hellboy's children. All the monsters and things that go bump in the night seemed to be stirring up more than usual.  
Aside from the children, she wasn't really that fast and in shape since she was carrying about 30 pounds extra in babies and water weight.  
It must've been from the mood swings and the excessive amounts of hormones being shot into her brain every half hour, but she was feeling really cautious now. Her mind just buzzed with the thoughts of motherhood. Abe never thought he would see such a thing in her mind.

When they came to the last doorway, the doors slid open in a whir to reveal an amount of distinguished agents, male and female, in black suits standing in front of an empty tube.

The 3 of them walked up to join the group and Manning, who was standing there so diligently and looking nervous as hell.

Manning turned around and said in that almost worried and comedic voice of his, "Oh there you are. You're just in time." He had, to no surprise, grown older in looks. There were more wrinkles on his face and his worried face looked like it was always in despair. He dressed in his usual black suit, but with a red tie that had purple spots on it. Bad idea to wear something like that; looked awful. His brain was strained with all sorts of questions and confusions. Luckily Abe was there to read and translate whatever needed.

Abe stumbled slightly, still trying to hide the fact that he was slightly intoxicated. He went up to Manning and looked over his shoulder.  
Manning held a file that was filled with more paperwork than usual. However, he appeared to only be reading the first page. Or should we say that he just started reading the first page. Poor man, he was always so slow that it often made Abe laugh to see how slow his thoughts were as well.

"Our new agent is....uh...."

Abe leaned over Manning's shoulder and continued reading for him. "Agent Le, a transfer from a sect in Japan."  
It was odd how they didn't list her first name and only her last name. It wasn't strange to see an agent just writing her last name down or someone else writing in such a way, but he couldn't help but feel suspicious about it.

"Uh...yeah. She's a teleken...tellitu...telikent-"

"A telekinetic channelor with powers in telepathy of the 5th class."

Hellboy whistled all of a sudden from behind Manning, his arm around Liz's growing waist line, "Wow...a real good resume, huh?"

Liz smiled and nuzzled back into Hellboy's chest, "Handpicked out of a list of dozens. At least, that's what the government told me."

Then Hellboy suddenly shivered, as though he remembered something, "She's human, right? Not a demon or monster? And.. she doesn't talk to ghosts, right?"

"Something bad happen in Japan that I missed?" Her face looked like she was joking but her tone sounded serious. Obviously, she remembered the little fiasco when she was younger in Japan. Hellboy had gone missing for some time and she nearly drowned. Luckily Abe was there to give her mouth to mouth, unfortunately, she remembered him saying it was... one of his burps. Did she honestly have to remember that? It didn't neccesarily have to be burps!

Hellboy shrugged his shoulders. He had forgotten about the events in Japan but remembered all the monsters he encountered. The image of a woman with the body of a spider and bodyless heads with sharp teeth was still in his mind time to time and it gave Abe the creeps to see that sort of thing. Hellboy mumbled to Liz, "Trust me, Japanese monsters are the strangest out of everything else."

Manning and Abe were looking over the file page. There were so many words and it all looked like it was scribbled from hands. He touched it once and saw that the pages behind it wasn't really all her profile, but a second copy that was written in another language. Yep, she really was a foreignor. He touched it one more time and mentally read everything again.  
It listed everything from power,  
age,  
height,  
eye colour,  
hair colour,  
skin colour,  
experience,  
credentials,  
comments,  
to recommendations.  
However, there was no picture or any files that showed any prior existence before she was found by the BPRD. Just like she was suddenly made up out of the blue.  
No list of relatives either or even fingerprints.  
Perhaps she was a clone. Clones weren't that shocking to know about or unheard of being used by the BPRD. There were those 2 agents in the office up in the UK who were clones of a third man... what ever happened to the predecesor?

He snapped out of his thoughts and went back to the files.

Aside from the status of her power's height, there was really nothing else special about the new agent. No one really took much heed to the person herself, but just like before with Johann, Manning almost took a liking to the new agent immediately. He could feel it. Mannig was obviously, inside and out, excited about having a new agent among them. It was just like he was expecting a new toy and was hoping for it to be better and funner. It wasn't just the power or the ability to stay so concealed from the public with class-5 powers, it was something else that was mentioned in the file.  
The comments left on the file had pointed out that she was very obedient who followed orders nonetheless with no questions, just silence and action. Manning was just smitten over those facts. He pointed out,  
"You see, it's agents like these who knows who's boss that are usually more likely to succeed."

Poor Manning still needed someone who would just do what they were told without him freaking out over what he wanted done.  
He was such a child. Abe couldn't help but laugh mentally as he drew his hand away from the file and backed up a bit. He could already hear an array of new thoughts and he knew that the new agent was here with the rest of the other agents who had gone to fetch her.

The hissing came from the upper floor on the elevator. Surprisingly Johann was there as well, chatting it up with the new agent who was hidden behind a fort of tall agents. Each row of agents were tall men with short hair and a black tie crossed over their white chests. They stood with emotionless faces. Though, Abe could pick up from their thoughts that betrayed their faces. They thought of the same stuff; going home, the new shows that were on tv that night, money, sex and women, and food.  
It was amazing how they could think their minds weren't that accessible.

As it descended down in a fiery hiss, the loud beeing ceased and it stopped with a heavy clank. Johann -who was in the middle of the crowd and the dome of his head was seen clearly over everybody- suddenly stopped talking and in his heavy accent stepped off one step of the elevator,  
"Gute Nacht! Ve have retrieved ze new agent!" A sudden air of white ghostly ectoplasm shot like a jet from the 2 circular vents on the side of his head. Abe could always read Johann like any other person, however for some reason, his mind was -forgive the term- more smoky than the other minds. He was excited, surprisingly even more than Manning.

Both he and Johann looked back at the circle of straight agents. Johann seemed to be.. cautious in a way and Abe wondered how the new agent was like since... well, he couldn't even see her. He couldn't even make out a thought that clearly. Was.. she way in the back or something? No sight of her or any thought. That struck him strangely.

His metallic and rubber hand that was hidden in the midst of the agents' black suits was revealed to be holding a very petit hand; a hand that was gloved tightly in what seemed to be leather.  
The group of people moved to the front so that the new agent could move to the side to be revealed. As Johann led the small agent out of the crowd eagerly and proudly, everyone was speechless.

All the thoughts were there.  
_'What?'_

The new agent looked....looked.... Well, she might've looked pretty.  
There was a possibility.  
However it was how she adorned herself that had everyone shocked out of their minds speechless.

She stood up to Johann's shoulder, or a little bit shorter. While he ringed his arm for her to lock her arm with his and interlocked their hands, she gave a blank turn of her head around the room as he walked her off the elevator floor; his feet and heels tapping loudly in the echoed halls. There was a second set of tapping feet along with Johann's. She walked gracefully, like flowing water and delicately.  
The new agent wore a pair of dark sleek sunglasses that hid her eyes very well, going around her head and curving just a few inches inward. You could not see what her eyes look like or any other details from behind them. Not even her face could be made out; aside from the sunglasses indoors, she wore a sort of black sick mask that covered the under-rimming of the sunglasses so that only a pale slit of skin was showing. Her cropped bangs that had only a few openings to her forehead framed the outline of her face and went spreading out in front of her chest and all the way down to the small of her back from what he could tell. Her entire wardrobe consisted of black, more than Liz.  
She wore a trench coat that was similar's to Hellboy but much more feminine in a sense and was black of course. The coat had 5 large buttons that gave the coat a fashionable sense and reached between her shins and knees. It was open at the front in an upside-down V. Her slacks were black as well and carefully hugged her thighs, with the rest of the fabric draping down over her black boots.

Everyone clearly noticed the large leather gloves that went up to her elbows and hugged the shape of her forearms perfectly as though it was her second skin.

As Johan walked her to meet the other agents and members of the team, she seemed very cautious with every step; taking in small strides.  
Behind Johan and the girl, a new agent stepped in.  
He had not so much a thick neck and looked average, with the regular suit and short cropped hair. He didn't look all that out of place as the young female, but at least he seemed warm and friendly. He had those steely blue eyes which drastically clashed with that warm nervous smile of his.  
His huge sweaty hand grabbed for the girl's free hand that wasn't being held by Johann and the 3 of them walked in front of Manning and stopped. There were some questions as to how a caucasian agent could stay in an asian sect.

The large man greeted with a deep voice, "Hello, Mr Manning. I'm Jack Quartz, 3rd class psychic and Nancy Le's guide." His head motioned to the young girl that was at his side holding his hand. Abe nodded, so that was her name, Nancy. Another thing was bothering him. Even from the distance, he couldn't pick up a single thing from her -From Johann and Jack he could- but still not a single ounce of information from her.

Manning grabbed for the Quartz's hand and shook it firmly, "Yeah...um....what do you mean 'guide'?"  
He was feeling nervous from what Abe was reading...

They stopped shaking hands and something seemed odd. Jack's face twisted around as though he was trying to find a face to portray his surprise. The man wasn't even thinking of anything, the only thing that was going on in his mind was this little tune that was reminiscent of a circus song.  
He answered, taking his hand away from Manning's, "You didn't know about her? She's blind."

Again, it was awkwardly silent. Every sound seemed more echoed while every one was hushed. He could read all their thoughts suddenly dissolving into the new topic that their new agent was... blind.. and had to have a guide with her. Aside from that, could she even speak the language here? How could the guys up in Washington send someone like her to them?  
Then Hellboy spoke out, "Wow, buddy! That's a good joke! She can't speak English, huh? It's not like she's actually blind."

A high voice that still held some sort of power of authority in the tone spoke suddenly, "I can speak english fluently. As well as Arabic, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Japanese of course, Latin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Yiddish."

They looked around, where did that voice come from? Even Abe was surprised. Where did it come from? It didn't sound like anyone he knew.  
Then there was a muffled cough, so they looked to Nancy Le. She pulled down her mask cover and repeated,

"I said _I_ can speak english fluently. As well as Arabic, Chinese, French, Gaelic, German, Japanese of course, Latin, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Yiddish."  
As the one free hand that left Johann removed the mask completely off her face, she continued with a straight face, "And yes, I am actually blind like you say."

Nancy's face was even more neutral, Quartz's face was still smiling happily, and even Johann seemed indifferent to the news. Everybody's, on the other hand, faces still had a confused look. He was getting confused!  
Did the governemnt really send a blind girl or what to replace Liz?  
If they did it on purpose, those Washington bastards were real assholes. Abe turned his attentions back to the pair of transfer agents in front of him.

The older agent standing a whold 2 heads over the girl in black was smiling brightly. He blinked a few times, strangely finding nothing strange with seeing a blue fish-boy and a fiery red devil man. He chuckled -showing pearly white teeth- and turned to the girl he was holding hands with, "C'mon, Nancy. Let's go say hi to everybody else!"

She nodded while still looking straight ahead and took one step ahead.

Johann was left standing by himself while every other agent stood in their spots with outstretched hands to shake.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jack Quartz and this is Nancy Le." he said to every agent he eagerly shook hands with.  
While each agent replied the same thing, "Same here, I'm Agent ---"

After shaking hands with all the human agents about him -excluding those who were on the elevator- he went off towards him, Hellboy, and Liz. Quartz was about to shake left hands with Hellboy, until he saw that his hand was made of red brimstone. So he just grabbed one finger and shook it well. Abe was glad to see that this agent was so open-minded. He remembered when Agents came to see them for the first time, particularily John Meyers. Even though they worked closely, there was still a sort of hesitance in the back of his mind. But Abe didn't really care and overlooked it.

"How_ you_ doing? I'm Jack Quartz, you?" his imitation of a New Jersey accent was almost insulting...

Hellboy answered with little expression and a small amount of contempt, "Hellboy." he reached his left hand out to shake Quartz; obviously wanting to give him a scare.

"Whoa, what a whammy! I bet you must be great at baseball!" he laughed.  
The scare didn't work.

Hellboy simply replied while shaking his one finger, "Don't know, never played." Hellboy wasn't the least bit amused by the joke.  
All the while Quartz was still laughing and shaking hands with Hellboy; making a joke of the stone hand as well, Nancy was still watching; or really staring ahead.

The strange thing was that while he was shaking Hellboy's hand, his eyes were looking up and down Hellboy. As though he was examining him...or checking him out. Abe mentally laughed at himself for making a joke of it. He ought to remember it and slip it to Hellboy to give him a little shock. Wouldn't he be surprised? Though, Hellboy was already thinking the same thing...  
After 2 or 3 scanning gazes of Hellboy, Quartz moved to Liz.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Sherman? How many months on the way now?" he asked her gleefully.

She responded, "I'm due in about a month... nice to meet you too."

He shook Liz's hand and looked at her the same way that he looked at Hellboy. The same expression was there; happy and fresh. Even though Liz was pregnant, she was still attractive and Abe remarked the amazing control Jack had for not even thinking of a lustful thought while looking so intently at Liz.

He walked over with Nancy to Abe now, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jack Quartz." His hand was held out for a handshake.

He answered with a small cough, "-... I'm Abraham Sapien."  
Abe held his hand out slowly, not sure if he actually wanted to touch Jack's sweaty hand since he could hear his comrades' thoughts complaining about how wet his hand was. So, he was just hoping that once he left his webbed hand out, Quart would be a little disturbed and not shake...

When Quartz grabbed for Abe's finned hand, God, his hand really was sweaty, sweatier than he thought... He took a look at Abe like he did for the first 2 times. Even though he knew that the intentions weren't carnal, he still felt a little uncomfortable at being stared at in such a fashion.  
Abe felt awash in all useless information. Everything that he wanted to know about Quartz, he could read from that one firm handshake, and plus, there wasn't all that much to read. He had a normal upbringing and it was when he was 21, he set off for japan where he was offered a job in the BPRD due to his power and his knowledge of the mind. Aside from that, the openess of his eyes was something that was close to chilling. Aside from that, his memories seemed blur. He didn't even bother to look at it, thinking the memories would be the same as any apple-pie loving American.  
As Abe looked briefly to Nancy, he noticed that she quickly looked down in a way that she wouldn't dare look at him.

As if she could see anyway, so he paid no attention to her heed to how he may have appeared to her. Though the memory when she approached Hellboy and had no reaction to him while she did for him insulted Abe a little. He figured that she must've brushed away from him as soon as he looked down at her because she too could smell the linger of alchohol on his breath.  
However, he couldn't turn his black filled eyes away to the incrediably crimson glow spreading over her pale face right beneathe her sunglasses.

When Quartz was leading her away to talk to Manning about the sleeping and staying arrangements, Nancy glued her feet to the floor, refusing to move. "Agent Quartz, Please let go of my hand."  
Her face appeared more stern than it was before, probably. She slipped her hand out of Quartz's grip like it was boneless and held it to her side.  
All eyes were on her now, watching her as she was something exotic that they had never seen; in a way, she was like something they had never seen before.

She slowly held out her hand straight in front of her, "I am pleased to meet you, Agent Sapien."

She still held her hand out, waiting for him to take it.  
All eyes and thoughts were on him. Most of them wondering if he would shake her hand willingly on the spot like that and some that were wondering why she wanted to shake only his hand. A few of the thoughts easily assumed it was because since she was a psychic, she would want to shake the hand of another pyschic herself. Abe laughed mentally once more. Silly girl, she probably didn't even know that he wasn't human. Thought his laugh quickly died out since he was shocked that even from such a close distance, he couldn't get any information on her. Perhaps, he would get something from a touch after all, his psychometry was stronger than his telepathy.  
He reached out, "Yes, same here, Agent Le." and shook her heavily gloved hand; the materical of it creaking as he grasped. Her full lips almost curled up in a smile, but in that same instant it dropped back to the expressionless line it was before. Like she wasn't even supposed to smile.

His hand felt like something was surging within it, going against the flow of his own blood. His heart was suddenly beating faster, like he was now facing a monster and he was trying to hold his own against it. It was a horrible comparison, but that was the closest to how he could descrbie it. He never felt this way when he was probing someone for their thoughts... He readied himself to see any information that could be handy should the situation call for it. He breathed in expecting to see her all her thoughts suddenly blow in his mind, filling up the answers for this girl enigma standing in front of him.  
But there was nothing.

Abe's flat face grew questioning and confused.

He could not read her mind.

Anything about her was not to be seen. He couldn't access any thoughts, memories, or any information of her. It was like reading stone, no worse than stone. Stone he could read at least, but her.... It was as though she had no mind, no memories, nothing to her that couldn't already be displayed as she was already. But that was impossible! He could read anything! Nobody could lock him out of their minds! How could he not read anything, his psychometry was the best there was and yet he couldn't get anything from her!! His core felt hot, like he was on the verge of bubbling over. He had never heard of such a thing; someone keeping him out so perfectly! There were other agents who claimed that they were strong enough to protect their minds, though the only things that they could hide from him was their thoughts -their memories were easily accessible.  
Still, how could she be an exception?!

The blush on her face grew to a massive proportion, almost making her look tan as he still shook her hand with the biggest question in his mind.

Then she pulled her hand unexpectedly quick out of his grip and said sharply, "Agent Quartz!"  
He ran to her side from Manning and grabbed her hand. His face looked worried with some anxiety etched on it. She asked again in the same harsh voice, "Have you learnt of our staying arrangements?"

He stuttered, "Yeah, we're going to be going down another level from here."

She pulled slowly out of his grip and put her mask back on, just to return to his hands. "Thank you very much, Agent Quartz." She turned to face directly at Manning, already the frail nature that she had earlier portrayed as she was arriving dissolved to show an Agent who was serious and prompt, "Dr. Manning, I trust you have already prepared where Agent Quartz and I will be staying. It is not of the BPRD to be so short and caught up of news and information."

Manning jumped a bit. Abe could see that this was not the sweet agent he was expecting. When Joahnn came, he was friendly but still commanding, going around introducing himself and getting right to work. He was glorified air in a suit, but he still had some power to him that everyone respected.  
This girl was just plain scary. He started laughing silently as he could see that Manning started to regret every praising her file and hoping that she would be like Agent Krauss.  
He quickly turned to Abe and Johann, "Johann, Fishstick! Can you...uh..show them their rooms?"

Johann did a clanky salute against the plastic bubble of his suit. "Ja, I'll take zhem to zheir rooms." His heels clicked loudly and he marched ahead of Quartz and Nancy, leading them to the new wings of the Bureau that were cleaned out for them.  
Abe kept his eyes on Nancy. Her dark form stood out in the building of silver and white. She looked back at him, well, this time, it was more that she was trying to see him through those useless eyes of hers.

Abe dropped his gaze from her to his hand outstretche din front of him. He looked over the hand that he had shook hands with her and contemplated.  
What kind of being was this girl?  
As far as he could tell, she was human, but she was different from human.  
Although his head should've been filled of questions about who she was,  
how he couldn't read her,  
his power,  
_her_ power,  
everything that occured during that brief moment.

Only one word filled his infinite head,

"_Why?"_

* * *

Abe walked back to the library, to the highest floor where the entrance to his tank was.

He breathed out loud.  
God, he needed a drink. He decided he would swim for a bit to try and get his mind off the memory of Nuala and the arrival of the new agents, but if in an hour, should he still be thinking about it and wanted a beer, he would drink just _one_ can.

Not bothering to be polite and gently go into water to not cause a splash. He stopped in midfoot at the edge of his tank and stared down at the water. He took a few steps backwards. After doing so, he ran and dove deep into his tank. The water poured out excessively, but he didn't say anything or do anything.

Swimming down as far as he could,  
as fast as he could,  
as much as he could to vent this lonely frustration he was feeling.

He could not believe the man he was now. There he was making a mess, and not caring for it so much.  
How could a woman, including the new Agent, change him so much?

He swam in circles, round and round.

* * *

**So, that was the first chapter.**

**Please review.**

* * *


	3. Easing Chaos

**Ngoc Chau does not own Hellboy**

**Whooo!!! We're at chapter 2!!!!!!! **

**Hope you guys like it. It's changed a lot in my opinion but hopefully, not for the worst. Hey, have you seen District 9? It is the greatest film ever!!! You have to see it!!!!**

* * *

No song this time

* * *

**Chapter Piece;**

_She looked so peaceful, sleeping. He thought it was still a slight morbid how when she lied down, her hands were crossed over her chest and the dark clothing on her made it look like she wasn't breathing. He slowly seeped in through the vents, circling around the room like a vulture of poison. He stayed formless, just hovering above her and running his almost non-existant hands down the length of her, so close yet not touching. He wondered why she was so insistent on wearing those sunglasses, even lying down then._

_He took form and he wrapped his arm around her head, stroking her hair. He couldn't feel it, but he imagined it to be soft, luscious and luxurious. She didn't wear her mask, thank Gott. Such a tragedy to be in this form, albeit its usefulness. He didn't need sleep anymore, he wasn't bothered by hunger or cold -even fear, and it was ideal in this line of work. Only in work was this talent and form valued; but what about in life?  
He wouldn't be able to walk the street without anyone staring awkwardly. He could not touch a woman or hold her. What woman in her right mind would want him to touch them. He kept his eyes on those lips of hers -he loved her lips; and remarked how it would open and close slightly. He laid down to her, that is to say, he floated next to her on the bed. Just from an urge of a love long past, he whispered into her ear, "Meine kleine Nancy; my little Nancy."_

* * *

Johann quickly typed in the code to the new wing with phenomenal speed in his fingertips.

Nancy and Quartz stood at the door behind him. She grasped his hand tighter. He knew what she was feeling. Quartz had always been there for her from everything; from the time since the BPRD found her in the catcombs on the coast of China to her first heartbreak. But she seemed worried now...  
He wished that he had the same abilities as she did; she was younger than him by more than 3 decades, but was a talented telekinetic and could even tap into the first stages of power of a telepathic. All he could do at his level was see the future in brief seconds every so often -from a low level of clairvoyance- and have a good sense of empathy.

Nancy squeezed his hand tighter, his knuckles almost turning white... he knew. The fact that she was so open to him and he could always tell anything he needed about her, showed that she trusted him. She... was nervous, scared. But what was she so scared about? He was here for her no matter what. There was also... longing. But longing for what, he wondered. Was she already homesick for the soils of Japan? Did... she miss him; Li-Jing?  
No, he remembered the... the emotions that she had for him and how it was after.  
This was something new... he wished that he could know more about it. But -alas- all he could do with his power was tell what emotion the subject was feeling, rarely the cause.  
His ponderings were suddenly interrupted with a loud _beeep._

The door opened with a whoosh.

Johann stepped in first and gestured formally wth his hand, "If you allow me, Agent Le."  
Another loud hiss came from the vents on the side of his bubble. God, this guy.. he had a lot of gas... he wondered if he was just excited... or yeah... Quartz stepped forward with Nancy, his arms locked with hers. As they passed through the doorway, Quartz noticed something very particular about Johann that couldn't go unheeded.

He rounded his arm.  
Yes, he rounded his arm! It was when Nancy had passed right by, between the 2 men, and Johann rounded his arm almost like he was trying to caress her but couldn't touch her. He was very suspicious of Johann, ever since they met the gas man from the airport inside the big black car. It was just awful to sit across a guy like that. Know what he was fliêng, fel what he was feelingê as well. Knowing that all he saw his little girl as a sex object, imagining what she would lơok like in her most vunerable moments behind closed doors, mostly in the bedrơoms than in offices.

He was only no more than 3 feet away from him, when he could already sense all the emotions buzzing like bees... Anxiety, annoyance, and... and want.  
Anxiety and Want was for his sweet Nancy, his dear little apple of his eye Nancy, he was sure of it. He just knew it. There was no way in hell he would just hand her over to some guy who didn't even have a body! Besides, his little girl had already been hurt too badly and he wasn't going to risk letting that happen to her again!!  
What was left of course was annoyance. He figured that was directed at him since for the entire car ride here was a total rip and that guy was just.. eyeballing him.... with... gassy eyes... yeah...

He expected to come to a room as they took a few steps in, instead there was a long steel hallway.  
He looked around.  
Nancy asked him, "What is so interesting to you, Agent Quartz? Please keep your eyes forward."

He nodded and kept his gaze forward. The bases in America were definitely different from the Japanese Base. They walked down the hallway, it was probably just a few yeards and in no time, they came to another door; this one was iron clad with a huge lock combo on it. However, Johann didn't pay any attention to it apperently, instead he went to another keyboard next to the giant lock and dialed in another code.  
God, how was he going to remember all these codes and what not? Another advantage to Japan; they only had 1 door with a 12 digit code instead of 2 doors with 8 different digit codes for each one.  
Boo-ya! Japan; 1. America; 0.

The final door opened up to reveal a room... the theme was crimson. Everything but the walls and wood were red. They seemed to be in the main room of their quarters -a lounge couch was right in the middle with a low coffee table before it and a beaded light over them. From there, there was a fork at the wall before them. From his view, he could see 3 doorways at each section; 1 for the bedroom, 1 for an office/study, and 1 for a bathroom. Johann pointed a sharp knobby finger towards one of the hallways, "As I've mentionned before, your bags vere already brought down here before zhe bozh of you."

Quartz fingered to the opposite hallway and asked, "So... my stuff is down here?"

Johann moved over a step and looked down at the hallway where Quartz was pointing at, "Actually, I zhink zhat is Agent Le's luggage down zhere."

"Oh."

They simply stood there in the same spot.. the silence was once again disturbed by Johann's ectoplasm hissing from his vents. Quartz turned to Johann who had his hands behind his back and stood straight as a board. "So... thanks a lot for showing us. I think we can take it from here." He walked towards the open door and pointed, "There's the door. Again, thanks a lot. We really appreciated it. Don't let it hit you on the way out." Actually, he wanted it to hit him on the way out.

Another hiss from Johann, "You're velcome... but zhere's somezhing else I vant to offer."

"Vha- I mean... What?" He hated that stupid accent. The first time he met him, it was pretty funny but now it was just dumb and infectious.... like Avian flu... or a scab. Then again, right away, he didn't really like the guy. Stupid ghost guy with no body and face... and stuff. God he just hated him.

Johann was burning.. not literally of course, but at the moment he wished for it to be so. What Johann was actually burning with was... nervousness, hope, and... Oh God, he couldn't picture him feeling that for his little girl; attachment. No!!!!!! He swore that if the guy was going to.. ask her out on a date, he would seriously be on his hit list for life.

He was already considering having a small 'accident' on some sort of mission with Granite for what he did in the car. So what if he was just joking? A girl's heart was something not to be toyed with. He already had a few strategies planned to do away with Granite if the time called for it, but Johann was a different matter.  
Question was now; How do you kill a ghost?

His eyes narrowed as a blast of ectoplasm escaped from the doctor in front of him, "I vould like to have anozher chance to talk vizh Agent Le."

"What?!" Quartz blasted out.  
They had already talked, right? That was enough. Talking in the car was enough. The _'good doctor'_ apperently didn't hear the tone of resentment in his voice.

He talked again, "I said zhat I vould like to talk to Agent Le... privately."

Privately?! No way in hell would he let his little girl stay in the same room alone with this guy!!! No way at all!  
He yelled, his voice was already feeling and sounding hoarse, "You got some nerve if you think I'm going to let that happen! I know what is it you're planning to do to her as soon as I leave the room. You don't think I don't remember what happened in the car? I still remember every one of your emotions, your thoughts.... You must think I'm dumb or something if you think I'm going to let that happen."

* * *

Actually, yes, Johann Krauss did think Jack Quartz was pretty dumb. He wasn't too bright in the least, he had a foul temper, he was a possessive man, and he was brutish. Oh.. Hellboy might've found a new best friend aside from Abe.

He hoped, but he didn't really expect it happening again. Little Nancy -his new thought for the young agent- spoke again, her voice sounding like it was still in mid-thought, rather than rehearsed like before in the car, "Please, Agent Quartz. I thought we had discussed this. We are.. working on the same team, thus we must get along with each other. The basis of like and friendship does not matter as much, as long as we are able to just trust each other and cooperate."

Johann eyed Jack as best as he could and he could've sworn that Jack was having some sort of staring contest with him.

Little Nancy continued on, clearing her voice first, "Agent Quartz, if Dr Krauss wishes to speak with me, be it in privacy or not, he should have the right to. Just as he cannot refuse your right to be at my side always." She was right. About both, though he wished that she was only right about the first thing, rather than the second. He didn't need Jack walking in every so often like a chaperone.

He seethed out, his voice echoing in the chamber of his suit, "You should take to herzen vhat Agent Le says. It is simply a talk between 2 professionals, Agent Quartz."

He smiled. Gott, he wasn't seeing a loop-hole already, was he?  
"Okay, I'll take to... to... to whatever you said! I'll listen to _Nancy_."  
What was he implying with that? Being all smug just because he was on a first name basis with her like that? It would possibly count more if she would call him by Jack. This man was really dumb. He carried on, "You can go ahead and talk to her, but I have to be there!"

Johann was taken aback literally. He didn't expect for Jack to catch on like that. He stepped back towards the door. Jack cried out, "A-ha! I don't let you have one-on-one time with her and you're disappointed.... nervous... pissed off! But those are rights and you should practice what you preach too!"

He shook his head, "I am fine vizh zhose arrangements. But I'm not taking zhe oppotunity vizh her right zhis moment. I have somezhing right now zhat I must attend to. Auf Widershen." Johann turned on his heels and pressed a button which resulted in the door opening immediately. He stepped out out into the hallway, his footsteps clanking as he walked away, past the doors, past the bolts.

He almost raced to his office, 3 floors down. He bet that he seemed like a madmen or an idiot who had his pants caught on fire.  
Agents looked at him, some with curious looks on their faces, some who were just neutral and weren't that surprised by anything there anymore. He went into his office and closed the door, locking it at the same time.

He wanted to talk to her. He was still so curious about so many things. It felt like she was keeping something away from him. It wasn't just that, it was her. She was so interesting. Her quiet nature couldn't have just been the only part of her, there had to be more. Plus.. he felt a sort of relief and calmness wash over him whenever he laid his eyes on her.

He sighed and one of his fingers tapped against a switch on his suit. He pondered the idea as he was taking them to their rooms. He knew the codes to their rooms, he knew the building like the insides of his suit... it was practically begging for him to do it. He sighed once and pulled the switch. In an instant, every part of his essence swept throughout the suit, spilling out into the open air, his ecoplasm just formless smoke for a few seconds before he was able to roll himself into a vague concept of what his body had loked like in his prime. His suit slid down in a wrinkled mess, no one could've known for certain whether or not he was still in his suit or if it was really empty.

He hoped that on one would come in to disturb him or call him for anything, but then again... hopes were meant to be dashed.

Johann made his way to the vents and disappeared down.

* * *

Nancy sat obediently on the sofa, her back still straight and tall and her mask was in her pocket once more. She started to unbutton the large buttons on the front of her coat, her face was still looking ahead. As each button came undone with familiar hands, hands that seemed to know and remember ever detail and movement, she spoke up, "Honestly, Agnet Granite. You should not be... you should not be so protective of me. If you keep this us, someone might find out about _it." _

He sighed as he came over to her from his bedroom, carrying out some of his bags, he smoothed out her hair.  
She was so wise beyond her years that it scared even him sometimes. But it was something that was a part of her and it you were to take it away from her, she just wouldn't be Nancy anymore. He apologized, "I'm sorry. But... you're still so young! You're.... you're my little girl."

It was the most heart-felt confession, true, she was still his little girl and she would always be. But he wanted to preserve it longer. He wanted her to still stay young and innocent (as much as she could in this job) and pure. Be the little girl that she should've been as soon as she was born instead of some sort of exterminator of monsters. That work could've been saved till she was 20 or something, but no... she had already been pulled into since she was a child. She chuckled slightly, but the chuckle sounded hollow. Another thing that would send chills down most people's spines, but.. just something about her that had adjusted.

She spoke out, her voice having more of a personality than her monotone from earlier, "I am not going to fall in love or anything of that matter, Agent Quartz. That is a ridiculous idea, I cannot believe that you yourself would assume the very thing would happen to me while I am here. This is merely a job and that is all, nothing else."

An eyebrow raised up higer over Jack's eye, "_Really? _What do you think of.... that guy, Abe Sapien?"

She jolted, she actually jolted. Though he was surprised that she hadn't jolted when she first saw the ghost doctor but only at the mention of this Abe's name.  
"Agent Abraham Sapien..."

"Yeah.. so, what about that guy?"

She returned back to her monotone, "I have not the slightest idea of what you are referring to, Agent Quartz."

He snickered, "Don't try to hide it from me, Nancy. I know what you were thinking, feeling when you saw him. You actually saw him! I mean, you didn't use me, but you switched vision and saw him for yourself! You even touched him too!"

She huffed out, "Agent quartz, I myself wanted to see the psychic for myself. He.. is a seemingly attractive man..." her voice trailed off.

He pointed out, "Aha! I knew it! But Nancy..." his expression softened, "You have to be careful.... wait, how did you know _he_ was _the psychic_? No one ever mentioned it at all, just names."

A blush grew clearly on her face, "I.. I probed his mind. He.. is fascinating. There is something about him that I cannot place, something that.. is odd about him." her tone sounded _quizzling._

"He looks like a fish?" Jack questionned.

She shook her head, her hair flying in all directions, "I pay no attention to looks, Agent Quartz, you of all people should know that well about me. It's just that... he makes me irritated."

"Irritated? Just a few seconds ago, you were praising him for being so puzzling." Girls, women, be they of all ages were indeed confusing. They wanted this and that at the same time while they hated it.

"That is exactly what irritates me. Everything intrigues me about him, but... it is confusing as to why and how I am taking this.. all from him and because of him."

"So..."  
What now? Did she like him or did she hate him? What was it exactly?

She finished for him, "I admire him, his power is indeed strong, but that is also why he irritates me and I cannot stand being so close to him. I cannot risk him knowing all that there is to me." She stood up, still facing straight and he stepped into her line of view, "I trust you, Agent Quartz...." she hesitated, "_Baba_. I trust you and you know all there is to me and yet, you do not run, you do not cower or even flinch when I touch you. For that, I am greatful to you and you prove to be the only one I can.. relax around."

He inquired, "So you put up your shield around him? You blocked him out?"

She nodded, "Yes, I cannot risk it as I said before. It is too much."

All of a sudden, there was a rumbling above them, a sort of clanging as well. His eyes followed the soun as it made it's way from one end of the room to the other and then going back towards the direction of the door. It sounded like an animal was caught in the vents or if this place was like Japan, a test subject had gotten away from the labs. He was getting chills remembering the last time something escaped from containment, nearly 20 agents were about to be poisoned and turned into zombies, but luckily they were able to reverse it.  
Quartz asked, "Do you have a gun or something with you?"

She reached into the pocket of the jacket, her hand digging about as though the pocket was deep and bottomless. Finally, she pulled out a small knife.  
Nancy held it out as she sat down, "I think this might help you."

He grabbed onto the knife and looked up at an opening to a vent. He turned back to her, "Do you think..."

"I most certainly can."

He nodded happily. His sweet little girl was always so ready to help with anything. He crouched down -a safety precaution- and closed his eyes shut. He couldn't hear anything, but he heard the sound of metal bending and screeching. There was a small BOOM.  
In a little voice, she inquired, "Would you like anymore help, Agent Quartz?"

Still curled up in a ball, he answered, "Yes, please."

A light feeling filled him and circled around him and he slowly opened up his eyes. He was floating a good 5 feet off the ground and he was face to face with the opening of the busted vent. He leaned in to see what could be in there, his hand tight around the handle of the knife. He hoped that whatever was in there wouldn't jump out at him.  
He didn't turn around, "Nancy?"

"Yes, Agent Quartz."

"Do you have a flashlight with you?"

"I am sorry, but I do not have it with me, Agent Quartz." she answered to him.

He shrugged his shoulders and told her, "Okay. You can let me down now."  
He fluttered down like he was in water. He closed his eyes until he was sure that he could feel his weight pressing down onto the ground. He loved her, he really did love her, but he loved life as well. And after what happened when someone close to her died, he couldn't stand dying and leaving her to al lthat pain herself again.  
"Can I open my eyes now?" he asked.

She shouted out, "Yes, it is safe now."

He opened up his eyes, "Do you want to stay here for now or go to another room?"

She still looked balnkly ahead of her, "I would like to stay in this room. They have already prepared everything for us."

"Do you want to come with me to get a flashlight?"

She looked up at him, "Would it be okay if I could just stay in this room for a few moments? My head hurts from the mind-block."

"Sure. I'm going to go out for a second and I'l be right back. I'll just be out in the doorway and when you need help, just scream. Do whatever you do, don't let whatever is in there get you. Actually...." He pondered for a second. Pointing to the bedroom and grabbing her arm, he instructed her, "Whatever is in the vent can get out now because this one is open. I want you to stay in _your_ room until I get back. Can you do that for me?"

She nodded, slowly standing up. He led her down the hall, into her room and sat her down on the bed. He would look up to the doorway, his ears perking up to the vents every few seconds to hear for the sounds again. As his eyes traveled around the tops of the room, he took in how nice the room was itself.

The room was really well-furnished. A large desk with a lamp in the corner and on the ceiling. The walls were blank, but they still gave you a slight comfort. The bed was very big too with a large comforter and wide pillows. There was a closet in the walls too. He hoped that his room was as nice as this one.  
He asked her as he looked around the room, "Is there anything else you need?"

She stayed motionless, finally answering, "Actually, would you mind putting away my jacket, please?"

He helped her out of her jacket and left it on the desk. She laid on her back on the bed -her boots kicked off in a neat mess, her face looking up at the ceiling, and her blinders still on her face. Quartz looked at her with a sense of chagrin. _'She looks like she's ready to die; like she could die any minute now_.' he thought to himself.  
He closed the door, "Take care, sleep if you want."

She nodded and a feeling of relief passed in the room.

He hoped that she was sleeping and taking it easy. Now, about that flashlight.

* * *

She looked so peaceful, sleeping. He thought it was still a slight morbid how when she lied down, her hands were crossed over her chest and the dark clothing on her made it look like she wasn't breathing. He slowly seeped in through the vents, circling around the room like a vulture of poison. He stayed formless, just hovering above her and running his almost non-existant hands down the length of her, so close yet not touching. He wondered why she was so insistent on wearing those sunglasses, even lying down then.

He took form and he wrapped his arm around her head, stroking her hair. He couldn't feel it, but he imagined it to be soft, luscious and luxurious. She didn't wear her mask, thank Gott. Such a tragedy to be in this form, albeit its usefulness. He didn't need sleep anymore, he wasn't bothered by hunger or cold -even fear, and it was ideal in this line of work. Only in work was this talent and form valued; but what about in life?  
He wouldn't be able to walk the street without anyone staring awkwardly. He could not touch a woman or hold her. What woman in her right mind would want him to touch them. He kept his eyes on those lips of hers -he loved her lips; and remarked how it would open and close slightly. He laid down to her, that is to say, he floated next to her on the bed. Just from an urge of a love long past, he whispered into her ear, "Meine kleine Nancy; my little Nancy."

She stirred in her sleep, moving her arms like an eagle spreading its wings. He went ballistic; scared he dispersed and spread himself throughout the room, like a little curtain of fog. She mumbled something that he couldn't make out and then went quiet -a huge breath going through the room then nothing. He should've just left by the vents and gotten the hell out of there, but it was so tempting to be so close to her now -without that meddlesome Jack Quartz- and in her bedroom, no less! It was a chance that he simply couldn't pass off. It wouldn't hurt her too; what she didn't know wouldn't kill her.  
She probably would've been disgusted to think or know of a man of his age having attractions to her. She moved again, maundering things that he didn't understand. However "Stop it." appeared in one of her ramblings, he imagined.

He changed his mind, getting out of there would be the best choice now. He slithered up against the wall to the vents until he stopped.  
He heard her whimpering in a hushed voice, "No." He swooped back to her side when he saw that she was tossing her head back and forth. He laid back on the bed, holding his hands over her in an almost protective way, still not touching her.

"Calm down." he hushed to her.

She was having a nightmare, he was sure of it. But how could he wake her up. He could simply move something, but then she would know that it was him. He wanted to help her so badly, nonetheless he didn't want her to know he was in her room. He kept shushing her and hoping that would calm her nightmares. He could see a small little wet stain roll down her cheek and he reacted even stronger. She was crying. He wondered what she could possibly be dreaming of. She was a lot calmer, but a heavy ambience was all around. He still stayed close to her, his hands held over her.  
He whispered, shushing at the same time, "Little Nancy. Calm down, calm down, calm down...."

She suddenly bolted right up on the bed and screamed, "Agent Quartz!!!!" Her pitch was high like a whistle that he could barely make out what she was saying. It felt like the entire room was shaking and everything was going to come down crushing. She screamed again with equal ferocity, "Agent Quartz!!!!!"

Stomping feet was the only other sound as her heavy wretched breathing went about the room. "Nancy! Nancy! Nancy!..." was heard over and over again. The whooshing of the door, then more running steps, more sounds were heard but he ignored them, running up into the vents to escape. He stayed in the vents though, just to keep an eye that she was alright. Quartz ran, his arms immediately going over Nancy's small form.  
He mumbled and babbled, but he assumed that he was asking what was wrong.

She answered -his guilt eating away at him, "There is someone in here!"

"I know, I know! I'm trying to get it solved. Some of the technicians are looking through the vents and pipes to find out what was wrong. Don't cry, don't cry, I'm here now. There's nothing to worry. I'm here now." He sat on the bed and rocked her back and forth like he was cradling a baby to Johann's chagrin.

She was crying again, "It is not that, Agent Quartz. I know there is someone in here. I could feel him in here. He... he touched me. He spoke to me. I can still feel his presence in here. There is a man inside my room!"

Quartz immediately jumped up and stormed around the room, going in and out of the bathroom attached and looking inside the closet and under the bed. He yelled as he repeatedly looked for any evidence or anyone that was in, "Get outta here, whoever you are. You'll be sorry if I find you!"

She clutched herself, he could bet that her hands were practically touching behind her. She took off her sunglasses and looked towards Quartz who was just jumping in the same spot. She whimpered out and cried, "Agent Quartz, may you please call someone in here?"

"Don't worry, we'll get him." he answered.  
He suddenly looked up. He hoped that Quartz had not spotted him, but it felt like he was looking directly at him. "I can feel him." he seethed with hate in his voice.

"I told you, he is in here! I felt him! Please, please get rid of him!" she sobbed.

Quartz spun around, yelling in all directions, "You pervert! What's wrong with you? You're terrorizing a little girl here! Don't you have any decency? I know that you're scared and you better be 'cause when I find out who you are, you're going to be sorry you even laid one finger on her! You arrogant turd!"

He zoomed out of the vents, getting out of the vicinity as quick as possible and back into into his suit. How ashamed he felt of himself for reducing the young woman to tears.

* * *

They decided the best way to wait until they could find out what had happened in the vents and room was to unpack for the time being. They still decided to stay in the room but now had more cameras set up.  
After a while of just taking out Quartz's clothes and putting them into the drawers, with the time of hanging his coats and jackets, and putting up pictures, they decided to work on Nancy's next. Quartz felt that he could simply pull out his stuff then put it away where he wanted when he was done with it.  
Besides, though he was an agent, a husband, and an expecting father.... he was still a man! And there were certain things that young ladies should not know about or see that were important to men..

Quartz helped Nancy unpack her uniforms, her journals(that he insisted for her to bring to record so that she would remember her time in America), some of her hobby keepings, photos(his own suggestion again so that she could still remember her homeland), and toiletries.  
Her dark uniforms consisted mostly of an Asian style of militia clothing, but Quartz's wife had altered some of it one day to make it look more feminine. In this case, making it much slim and accenting her developements of womanhood. SHe hated it and found ways to make it look ghoulish by adding chains, leather straps, and the occasional katana or shuriken at her side along with a small gun.  
As for her journals, Quartz had tried putting it into a charming way that made it look like she was in the midst of writing into it, but the call of work had interrupted her. Nancy strongly protested the scene, saying it wasn't professional for an agent such as her to leave private things like that out in the open for people to see should they waltz into her room. She even questionned him as to why she should even bother making it look like she had journals. She could've left them back in Japan in such a fashion like that and the agents there would assume that she was writing just as she was leaving. Disgruntled, he stacked them alphabetically and chronologically.

For her hobby-keepings, like her art materials and music sheets, she was quick to say that she wanted it in her closet.  
Quartz asked, "Why? You have such beautiful talents; you can sing and you can draw! You should show everybody! How often do you see someone who could do all that?"

"Agent Quartz, this is not a place where such little things are displayed on the fridge and like it is at school. Put it in the closet! I have no reason for the agents here to see me as some sort of entertainer for their own amusement!" her voice was strong and firm, completely different from a few minutes ago when she was whimpering and totally vunerable.

Disgruntled once more, he put it in the closet, but carefully as to not damage any of her drawings and songbooks.  
When it came to the dreaded bathroom stuff, the farthest he put away for her were her towels, combs, and toothbrush.

Quartz was finally happy to put out all the pictures that Nancy had brought from the Japan base here! He suggested, "Y'know, Nancy. Pictures are supposed to make a room look nicer."

"Yes, but where does that concern me?"

"Well, it doesn't look all that nice if you just put all your pictures on just one shelf. You have to spread them all around and it's that feng shui stuff you hear about all the time and-"

She interrupted him, "If you want, you can decorate the room with pictures of how you want it."

Luckily Nancy was blind at the moment or she would've been creeped out to death by that grin that slowly crept throughout Quartz's face.  
"Really? You mean it? I can decorate it anyway I want? However I want? Wherever I want?" he asked anxiously.  
She kept her straight vacous stare as she sat straight on the bed with her legs crossed.

"Yes.... _Go crazy_." the last part was said with some hesitation of the english slang.

He pulled out all the pictures that were at the bottom of her suitcase.

The strangest thing was that if one were to look at these pictures were that you would see a smilling girl, with her long black hair tied in a braid adorned with a large red ribbon and her brown eyes sparkling with a 200-watt smile.  
The stranger thing was, that was a picture of Nancy not too long ago. There were pictures of her with the softest expressions you could see on a girl, almost no hint of the stone-hearted girl she would become not long after.

In all the pictures, Nancy wore colour and she was smiling so much, she looked more pretty with the added feature that she didn't wear her sunglasses or mask. In those rare pictures, she would be wearing costumes of the orient that Quartz and his wife loved to see her in.  
Who else did you think got her all those clothes?  
But in most, she would have another person with her in the pictures.

Often times would be something like a family portrait with Quartz and Kasumi -his wife and a small Japanese man. The rest with a few other members of the Japanese BPRD and her, but they would be out of the professional shells and into a more livlier air.  
But there were 2 pictures which clearly held so much importance to Nancy that when Quartz was about to put it somewhere, she asked for it to be right next to her bed.

One was, of course, a family portrait of Quartz, his wife, and her under a branch of a sakura tree during a flower-viewing picnic. It had Quartz in a navy yukata which made him look more tourist than a local, while his wife was still thin and wearing a pink crane-patterned kimono. Nancy was wearing a more modern and cropped version of a red kimono that had a short knee-long skirt instead of one that covered her entire legs.

The second was perhaps the most important to her. He could feel from the object; heartache and regret. The longer he looked at it, he felt that he was going to break down and cry. It was amazing how much emotions the simple picture and frame could capture altogether.  
The picture had her wearing a shy expression with a very rosy blush across her face and a stylish red and black chinese dress. She stood up straight, but there was an edge of anxiousness leaned into her posture, her hands and fingers were fidgeting together. Her brown eyes looking down and avoiding the loving gaze of the tall man in a black suit that stood beside her.  
The man in the picture was very handsome with big eyes and full lips for a smile. His hair was thick and spiky with some of it being drawn back but not entirely. He had his arm around her and his other hand in front of both of them. It appeared as though he was giving her a ring from the position of his hand and the little black box in his grip.  
The scene was so endearing, the 2 of them could only see each other, oblivious that Quartz had a camera and quickly took a picture of them at the time.

Quartz's smile dropped. He thought to himself, '_Huh, so she still has this. I thought after what happened, she would've gotten rid of everything that reminded her of him.' _  
"So, are you sure you want this right here? What about the shelf over there, in the corner?" He pointed to the shelf in the corner of the room.

Nancy remained silent, her lips were quivering.

Quartz pitied her for that. She was still not over it, if anything, it affected her even more than he thought. He looked all over the room to change the topic. His eyes fell on another suitcase. he walked over to it and picked it up, setting it down next to Nancy on the bed. He began to unzip it when something stopped him.  
"Agent Quartz, stop."

He stopped and asked, "What is it?"

Nancy stayed completely still, only her mouth moved, "Let me unpack this suitcase myself. There are.... girl stuff there that I do not want you to see."

Quartz nodded, "Okay."  
He understood how girls were with underwear and their things..... That was probably one of the reasons why he was chosen specifically to be her guide.  
Unlike most of the other agents who always imagined that people like her who were different, had different habits as well. He could still remember how they wouldn't really stay so close to her, they were supposed to be close after all because they all worked together, but they always acted cautious around her. Like she was a tigress that could turn on them any second.  
But he treated her like a regular kid, the daughter he and his wife always wanted and were soon expecting in about 1 more month or so.

He was about to head for the door with his coat in hand. Preparing to meet up with his wife for a reunion of being seperated by distance for 2 weeks. He was so anxious to meet her that he was going to squeeze her as tight as he could and never let her go. What a lucky man he was to have a woman like that. Just before he left, he turned to Nancy,  
"Nancy? I'm going to go out to see Kasumi, do you want to come to?"

"I would prefer to stay here. The trip had worn me out and I would very much like to sleep."

"Then do you need me to pick out anything for you?"

She shook her head. "I think I will just stay in this room for the rest of the evening until you get back. There is no need for anything else, Agent Quartz. But thank you." she answered almost too quickly.

"Are you sure? You know, it's almost that time of month for most girls, so in case you need any.....I'll ...uh... go pick some up for you..."

"....Agent Quartz, that time has passed for me 3 weeks ago."

"Sorry, I guess I shouldn't use you for practice for when the kid is born. I just can't help it; you're my little girl."

"I am and will always be your little girl... _Baba. _Anyhow, you don't need practice, Agent Quartz, I would say that you are well ready for fatherhood." she said, resuming back her role as partner rather than daughter.

"Thanks. Oh, I won't be back till 11 or so."

"I appreciate the warning, but I assure you that I can be left alone for a few hours. Go out, have a good time with your wife. And tell her 'hi' for me."  
Nancy showed her painted smile to him.  
He knew that the smile could've been even directed to a blank wall, but after what happened, she probably wouldn't smile for a long time.

He smiled back a warmer smile, they both knew. This was how it was always like.  
Just smile, it didn't even have to be real. Look happy, pretend to be happy, say that she was happy. Even if she could guard her mind and block it like a pro, he could still read and sense her emotions like a mood ring. He wanted her to be happy, feel happy. But this sort of false happiness was probably the closest thing he could ask for from her.  
"Okay, but if you need anything, just call me, okay?"

Then finally, he left.

Nancy took off her sunglassses. She took a deep breath as the metamorphosis took over.  
Her milky white eyes quaked as they changed. Almost as though a drop of black floated to the surface of her eyes, colour returned. First the iris grew big and dialated, then the colour, then the rim to close it off. Her eyes, in their natural state was big and beautiful.  
The colour was a brilliant amesthyst with pure blue streaking from the iris. The colour was mesmerizing, shining so much that it didn't even seem like eyes. No, more like the more precious jewels in the world.  
But then again, looks could be deceiving.

Her eyes were like monsters, coaxing their prey before they knew it, they were gone.

Dead.

Just like that.

A look would take one instant.  
In one instant, they could be killed with that deadly gaze.  
Only those who were lucky enough to withstand the mind-destroying power or to even hold it off before they could receive help would survive.  
Some did, but they went crazy or even lost most of their memories. The fact was that it was rare to survive after looking at her. Her eyes was such a wonder, stopping the heart of whoever looked at it and driving them insane with fear and horror to make it worse and have the kill be absolute.

She walked over to the mirror and studied the curse she was born with. She could look into the mirror all she wanted with those eyes, but there would be no affect to her. She sighed so heavily that the air felt even heavier.

She walked over to the unzipped but closed suitcase on the bed and continued to unpack. There were a few more drawers open, so she didn't really have to care about shoving everything mercilessly in the drawers.  
As she put away her underwear, her panties, her bras, her pads, her sanitary napkins, the bag was empty.

With the exception of a burlapped object that was no bigger than a forearm.

She closed the drawers and sat on the bed with the burlapped object in her hand. She pushed the suitcase down and slid it under the bed. After, she unraveled the bulap object to reveal a long silver-edged blade.  
The thing was so grand, reflecting her image so perfectly and clear. The designs on the handle was so complex that it proved the maker of such a blade was very talented.  
She petted the blade so lovingly so entraced with it.  
Then she set it softly down on the bed.

She unrolled her left glove and pulled up her sleeve. She had a beautiful hand. The shape and proportions didn't look human, too perfect and lovely.  
But the white ivory skin was horribly mutilated with cuts and scars, some gashes refusing to even heal. The long graceful fingertips were covered in rubbery scars that looked like rings of violet and pink. Across her forearms were diagonally cut streaks of thin scabs that also resembled heavy stitches.  
The gloves were not used to downplay or concentrate her powers like Abe's. It was used to hide the violent scars marked on her arms.

She picked up the blade and dug it deep into her white skin. She ran it heavily that the blood bubbled and gurgled as it rose to the surface. Her nerves were eratic from the bitterness of cold air slicing at open flesh.  
She ended the cut quickly by flicking the blade's end off.  
The blood dripped, but she lapped it up like it was fresh water. She opened her palm. In the center of her palm was a large scar that rose up. It was in asian characters that translated into _Ai;  
Love._

She brought the knife upon it and opened it up. She muttered to herself as she recarved the monsterous scar again.

"Ji-Ling, I am so sorry. I am a bad wife, please forgive me. I am so sorry, please forgive me. Please forgive me. I love only you...... I love you...."  
She dropped the blade on the burlap sack as she drank from the wound on her palm. Her blue eyes looked to the mirror, she could see his smiling face; the face that she had known only first in darkness, then by a scent of nicotine. A face of youth, masking a mind of wisedom and intelligence and strong empathy. Ji-Ling. She smiled a real smile to the hallucination.  
His lips moved in a mute voice, '_Wo ye ai ni.'  
_But his smile then dropped, so did hers.  
She begged quietly, "Why did you stop smiling? You always smile, why did you just stop?"

His smile turned to a face of dismay and sadness. Then, just as sudden as he appeared, he disappeared. She didn't cry.  
Ever since then, she never cried, not a single sound or expression, simply the salty water would spill.  
Yet her tears ran like rivers down her white face.

She sighed as she curled up in a fetal position on the bed, her hair sprawled out like wild fire. She shivered, her lips quivering. The psyche; the human mind was truly a marvelous thing to comprehend. Nancy closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, clutching the sheets as though she would die if she let go.

* * *

_Bang Bang!! Bang Bang!!!_

Nancy's head snapped up to the unexpected sound. The heavy sheets ruffled around as she looked at the spinning room. She wondered if it was already 11 and Quartz was back. But then, why would he be knocking? He had an amazing memory and it sounded strange as to why he would be banging the door so loudly when he always liked quiet and calm rather than loud and raucous. The banging continued loudly. She was almost ready to just ignore it and cover her ears with the pillows and sheets.

"Agent Le, are you in zhere?" a familiar hollow voice called.

In a tired and wasted fatigue, she lifted up her head. She questioned herself as to why he would be knocking at this time. She suddenly recalled that he wanted to talk to her, but she had assumed that when he said that he had something to do at that time, he would be ready to talk to her in a few more days, not in the same day. She raised herself and leaned towards the door, still on her fours on the bed, "Dr Krauss? Is that you?"

"Ja, it's getting late. I... I vas vondering if you vanted dinner."

"Dinner? What time is it?" She didn't really notice the fact of food. She wasn't hungry or anything. Anyway, Nancy was never one for westerner's food. The foods were always so mixed up in tastes that surprise in cuisine always resulted in a big mess of her stomach.

A hiss sounded from the other side of the door and she could practically feel the presence of the room get smaller. It was apperent that he had let himself in and only stood outside the door to her room.  
"It's already a quarter after 10. You've been in zhere for qvite some time." There was a brief wait, but she could still hear an excess amount of ectoplasm flying around. "Vould you like me to come in?" he offered.

Nancy sat up and looked at the bloody sheets around her and her arms. She couldn't let him in even if she had no choice. There would be too much questioning and her secret would be blown. She tried to steady her voice, make it sound confident as before, "I have just been busy. That is all. Please wait out in the main room."

"As you wish." he conceded. His voice sounded resigned, but she didn't want him to come in and see the mess.

She heard his clanking grow fainter by every second. She leapt off the bed and stood in a clear space.  
Nancy lowered her head and raised her arms and hands out in such a dramatic way. Her eyes closed tightly as she concentrated her with her mind. In a frenzy of circling objects around the room.  
The razor blade slipped inside the burlap bag and hid inside an opening and closing drawer.  
Her gloves that were luckily still clean slid swiftly on her arms.  
The bloody sheets were neatly folded up and left in a corner of a room while another bundle of sheets that were in a closet came out and floated softly on the bed. The circle of flying objects ceased. Nancy headed to the door to see Johann, but as she reached out to enter in the door codes, she looked in horror to see that she had been careless this time and got blood on her clothes.

Most of her clothes were fit for the weather in the Orient. Hence the clothing were a bit more thinner and revealing than the fashions in America for the season. She had planned that the clothes she was wearing would last her about a day or 2 more before she could ask Quartz to take her shopping for more clothes.  
She was planning to buy thicker clothes the next day or so.  
But it seemed she had no choice, if Johann saw the blood he would surely investigate and tell Quartz. Then there would be another one of Quartz's unwanted fatherly lectures. She hated his lectures.

She whipped off her slacks which had some blood on it and the turtle neck that was just painted crimson and sent it to an opening and closing drawer. Then another drawer opened and a large bundle of black came out.  
By plain reflex, she instintively put on whatever it felt like it was.

Before she left, she looked back to the second picture that stood on the shelf next to her bed. A little sting hit her as she studied the face of the man in the picture.

Then she turned around and opened the door. The door opened with a whir. The change of air brushed her hair off her shoulder. She didn't really feel any presence in front of her, thus she applied another technique that was quite difficult for her. She took off the thin flats that she was wearing earlier and concentrated on imagining where the walls were, the furniture and the doorway. She stroked her socked feet all around, feeling and gripping with her toes. As her foot hit the wall, she would lean against it, her ankle traveling up the wall and feeling it. She couldn't really see now that she switched her vision, but she could feel the auras and vibrations radiating off everything.  
She walked in slow guides, still wary about her steps.

"Agent Le?"

She stopped and asked, "Dr Krauss?"  
Nancy felt his cold metal hands on her bare elbows and a blush grew on her pale pale face, "Dr Krauss, wha-"

"Vhat are you vearing?" he interrupted her

Nancy had no idea what he was talking about now. She touched the fabric and knew by memory what it was. It was a spring dress that was black of course and reached a little above her knees. There were no sleeves and it was a medium collar dress that graced into a round V.  
Though there were no sleeves, the dress had a small jacket with it that had just one button at the bust and the sleeves assumably reached to her the mid of her forearms, but there were no telling since it was tucked into her leather gloves.

She answered him, "Just something I had in my closet. Why? Is it too much or revealing? I could go get a jacket to wear over if you see that the dress code is unacceptable."

A cold air of ectoplasm danced on her skin, resulting the case of goosebumps, but then spoke, "Nozhing's wrong, it's just...." There was another pause from him. She wondered what was on his mind that could always have him stop and reconsider what he was going to say. She hoped that it was nothing bad about her. Although she could read minds, the stress of it took a great toll on her. A woman's intuition was often enough. He continued"...it's just your gloves. Do you need to be vearing zhem indoors?"

"I would prefer to wear my gloves indoors." she blurted out without thinking.

They stood still in silence. The only sounds were what was beyond the door and Johann breathing. Not one moved, not one spoke. The quietness and solitude was awkward and nerving. Johann suddenly pointed out, breaking the silence, "Agent Le, your shoes."

Nancy realized that in her hand were her shoes.  
She stopped and bent down to slip her petite covered feet in the black shoes. She stood back up, straightening her spine. Nancy thanked him for reminding her about the details of her shoes. The carpet was very soft and comfortable that she had forgotten all about the fact of footwear.

He laughed a bit, but the nervous laughter turned to a series of "ummm"s and "uhhh"s. He seemed nervous, she wondered just why, "...Eh...I vas vondering if you vould like to have dinner viz me-"

"Forgive me for my asking, but I had assumed you did not eat." He didn't seem to have a solid body. So how could he ingest and expel waste after?

"You're right in zhat assumption, but I know a nice place a few blocks out hier zhat you might enjoy und-"

She interrupted him once more, "That is very kind of you to invite me -even to check up on me- Dr Krauss. But Agent Quartz should be back around this time and I would hate to get you in trouble. He does not trust you very much."  
She was nervous around him. The man saw her as attractive and she couldn't deny to herself that she felt a small attraction to him as well. But she wished it to stop. It wasn't right for her to feel this way. It just wasn't so. The more she stayed around the people in the BPRD of America, she felt her guilt eating her up. But she recalled how the sound of his canvas suit crumpling slightly resembled disappointment and embarassment. She still considered a way to accept his invite while at te same time, staying away from him.  
"Is there a library down here by chance?" she inquired.

"Zhere is one on the 4th level, vhy?" his voice sounded more hopeful.

"...Might you have some time to spare to take me to the library? I suppose that Agent Quartz would be happier that I had stayed in the base, but I want to stretch my legs. To stay in one room tends to be a bit boring."

"Ja, of course. Anyzhing for you, meine liebe."

A blush arose from Nancy's deathly pale face.  
It was flattering but she simply could not allow anything close to affection or love come to her. It wouldn't be right. She wouldn't be right. She wasn't staying long in the country, just 1 year, 2 years maximum and Quartz would be just furious since she knew that he detested Johann Krauss. Most of all, she already had someone back in Japan for her.  
"Johann, we are friends, teammates, comrades. Agent Quartz willl surely be furious should he hear you say that."

"I am sorry if zhat offended you, Agent Le. Trust me vhen I say zhat it does not mean anyzhing, it's platonic between co-workers. I vill never call you anyzhing like zhat, if you don't like it."

She nodded, "It does not offend me, Dr Krauss. But I should tell you I am not looking for a relationship while I am here."

"Of course, but it isn't so strange to hear agents calling each other by name or even by nickname. It's a form of trust ve have vizh each ozher. For example, you could call me 'Johann' if you vished."

"Johann?" she said. She didn't need him to reply, she simply wanted to try it to hear what it would sound like coming from her.

"Zhen I hope that I could call you by.... _Nancy_. Vould zhat be alright?"

"I... I suppose that would be acceptable -if it's a means of trust."

She heard a small laugh from him and his arm suddenly felt like it was wrapped around her. He grasped one of her gloved hands and intertwined her arm with his like before. The ectoplasmic excess hissed out of the tubes of his helmet again.  
It felt so cold on her. Like death like ice, that made her pity him for being in this form.

She followed him as he he led her all around. He spoke endlessly of all his work. He spoke of the strangest things he had seen and done in the line of duty. Even though she still spoke in a sort of monotone, her voice was higher to show some interest and amazement in his job, though it was no different fron hers. He had seen a werewolf, so had she. he had performed tests on strange slime that turned out to be substance for an alien cocoon, so had she. Still, she was interested in hearing it from him and observing the difference on how Americains could feel so intrigued by a deity or a spirit.

But when it came to the subject of his life. It was very brief, talking about small moments of his childhood that he had forgotten during the extended decades of life. What he talked about most, more than his work and life total was his wife. How he spoke of her was so riveting.  
His voice sounded so bright as he spoke of her,  
"...... She had zhe darkest hair you vould imagine zhat zhere vere times she vanted to dye it blonde. So zhat's vhat she did vone day und her hair turned grey. She vas so shocked by it zhat she cut off all of it und had to vear a hat until zhe black grew back to her ears. But vizh zhat hair, she donated it. A few days after vhen ve vere valking down the street, ve saw a voman at a corner und my vife shrieked right there, "My hair! Zhat's my hair!" Zhe old voman vas so shocked she almost jumped into a passing cart."  
He laughed heartily,  
"She vas very free-spirited und unafraid to try anyzhing. Mein Gott, zhere vas no vone like her... Zhere vas also zhe time she tried to cook a duck und it vas still alive! She vas running all over zhe kitchen vizh a carver in her hand...."

On and on he spoke about her. So much that Nancy was so sure she had known the woman as well in another lifetime.  
There were a few moments that Nancy envied the dead woman for having such a devoting husband. As they took the elevator down to the 4th level, Nancy asked "Your wife, what was her name?"

"Vhat?"

"You have talked so much about her, but not once have you mentioned her name."

Johann stopped his way of breathing and was silent. It was not that he didn't want to talk about it, it seemed more like he was trying to recall exactly the details. The elevator ride down was silent. Only the whirring of gears and machinery filled everything and soon the clacking of black heels touching smooth floors.

"She didn't like her name, so she often had me call her by a different alias."

"What was her real name?"

"Anna. Anna _Werden_. But after she married me, she vas Anna Krauss." He sounded prideful of her name after she had married him.

"What did she have you call her though?"

".....She said zhe name suited her much more zhan Anna possibly could; _Nancy_ Krauss."

"Excuse me?" She asked. What did he just call her? She wondered if her hearing was correct.

"She vanted me to call her 'Nancy'. Honestly, in zhis very day und age, it is rare to find a voman vizh a name like zhat. Und vhen I saw you und you had zhe same name, I.... I vas shocked. You... you remind me of her." he explained.

That was probably the reason why Johann had thought her attractive! It was because she reminded him of his wife! As they stepped off the elevator and rounded into a tall hallway, Nancy stated, "She did not like her name just like I don't enjoy mine."

"Vhat is your real name, zhen?"

She considered telling him her real name, but it would only expose her secret. Instead she explained the tragedy of her english name, "I did not choose the name 'Nancy' you know. Agent Quartz was the one who named me that so long ago."  
She reminisced about the time in the plane. When the aircraft rose above the ground and it was so loud that her screaming was drowned out. Agent Quartz held her tight and dangled a type of rattle in front of her and said the same thing over and over again, "Nancy. Nancy. It's going to be alright...."  
She laughed recalling the reason Quartz gave her for her name, "Agent Quartz wanted to name me Nancy; after Nancy Sinatra. Agent Quartz loved Frank Sinatra and thought to name me after his daugher. At first, I was almost... prideful of the name until he gave me another sufficient reason as to why 'Nancy seemed the perfect name; there was a little precoscious comic girl from his days as a boy and he was very fond of reading her stories. Imagine... my horror when he showed me a picture of a little... fat... chubby girl with bushy hair named 'Nancy'.

He laughed, "Don't vorry, you're very cute! Completely zhe opposite of vhat zhis 'Nancy' must be like!"  
A blush grew on her face right after and almost on cue, a gust of cold air surrounded her.

They came to the large mahogany door to the library -also the untouched office of the late Trevor Bruttleholm. As they opened it, Johann warned, "Be careful, zhere are steps."  
She was careful and made small steps. As she walked up, she heard another set of steps- one that she could distinguish wasn't hers or Johann's. His grip on her hand tightened and his pace appeared to be slower. "Nancy, zhere is somezhing zhat I am curious about. About you und your eyes, I-"

"Dr Krauss. There is something that you have to look at." A voice interrupted him. She recognized the voice to be Agent Granite. For a brief second, she turned on her vision and verified that it was Granite. Though in his hand was a huge folder stuffed to the brim with loose paper and sheets.

"Vhat is it, Agent?" Johann asked, his voice sounded exasperated.

"It's a matter of paperwork to do about a bog beast in the counrtyside. It is very important that you get it done."

"Did you also ask Agent Sapien?"

"No, we can't find him anywhere."

"Vhen does it need to be done?"

"Right now!"

"Does it have to be me who does it?"

"It came from a direct source who requested that _you_ do it!"

Johann hissed some of the ectoplasmic excess out. He sighed as he turned to Nancy and let go of her hand, he told her, "I am very sorry zhat I have to go now. Ve should pick zhis up some other time."

She nodded. It was really no problem. She felt comfortable with Johann... but knew that he couldn't be good for her. "It is just fine, Johann. I understand; work must come before all in this business."

Nancy walked a little bit farther away from the steps and turned around in a puff. "I bid the both of you, Dr Krauss and Agent Granite, a good evening."

* * *

By the time she finished, a kind of force pushed the agent and Johann to the wall. They looked at Nancy in surprise to what she had done. Again, before any could ask or question about her ability, she flicked her hand and the 2 doors closed simutenenously with an unseen power.  
The men peeled themselves from off the wall and gave each other weird looks. They had both seen her power firsthand, but not at that level or manifested so largely. Granite passed the mauled folder to Johann so he could spend the rest of his evening till morning filling out paperwork about some bog beast gone amok and was already captured. Johann opened the folder and was already reading through most of what he needed to fill out the files. With a feeling of disappointment and irritation, he walked back to his office to continue working.

In a way both men -Quartz and Krauss- had gotten their wishes. Krauss was able to spend time with Nancy. While Quartz was able to keep him away, especially when he arranged for Johann to take on all reports -should he seem free.

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**Sorry if her character is a little hard to understand. Here's a reason, she's a gemeni. I know that sounds like a bad reason, but that's the only thing I can use as an answer to explain. So please update and tell me what you would like to read about really to make this fanfic a good one.**

**To almost verify something about Nancy's powers, they work like this.  
Her main power is basically telekinetic. Her mind-reading and sort of psychometry is something extra that takes a bit more concentration for her to do than it does to just move things with her mind.  
If you have any questions about her, leave it in your review and I will be gald to explain whatever it is you're confused about. **

**I know that OCs aren't really the best type of fanfics, but I just felt really sorry for Abe and Nuala was dead.... so I thought to make him a girlfriend. Or an admirer at least. **

**So again, please review.**

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